• 27 February 2012

It started with a stack of books and a lucky find in Target's $1 section last year...and soon an idea was born for a sweet, little birthday party that would be appealing to both lads and ladies. Babar bien sur!

I popped onto etsy and lo and behold there was a shop selling Babar envelopes and cards--made from vintage books. I couldn't believe my luck...hello invitations! With the addition of some labels from Martha's fabulous, new label collection at Staples, we were good to go (all sources listed at the bottom by the way :)).

p.s. did anyone else used to make envelopes like this as a teenager like I did? Total flashback.

We set Babar at the head of the table and allowed him to provide the inspiration for the tabletop. I couldn't believe how lucky I was to find a craft store with a crown die-cut that looked just like Babar's crown. They made for the perfect bowls and held all sorts of snacks and treats during the party.

Accompanying the crowns were extra loud party horns (the kids looooved these) and wooden forks.

One of our vintage, French Babar books was in poor condition and so I decided to recycle its pages into a simply party banner. It felt like a fun way to celebrate how loved that book truly was. The beautiful French cursive made it even more charming.

My daughter requested turkey/cheese and ham/cheese sandwiches for her party. I opted for a daintier, easier-to-eat-version by making them into sliders. Sara Lee's mini buns to the rescue! Little flags fashioned from toothpicks and Japanese washi and masking tape made lunch a lot more celebratory. You might think kids don't notice and/or appreciate details, but they really ate it all up, both literally and figuratively.

My oldest daughter, who assisted me with this party, suggested to the little guests to place the flag into the top of their party hats. Such a festive addition! I'll definitely recycle that idea again :)

I had to show you the inside of a Babar book, in case you hadn't seen one before. Even though ours are all in French (we purchased them on amazon.ca and at vide-greniers), they are just as readily available in English. Your local library probably has a copy or two on its shelves. They are really sweet little books and I love the illustrations too--very reminiscent of one of my favorite childhood books.

One of my daughter's few requests for the party was a "big, chocolate cake", which she later tried to talk me out of because she didn't want me to have to "work too hard to make it". I was so touched by her concern and sensitivity that all I wanted to make for her was a big chocolate cake! I made sure it was chocolatey, but not overly rich (wanting to cater to the 4/5-year-old crowd). As it turns out though, adults were big fans too (I sent home each parent with a slice) and now I'm thinking this is more versatile than I originally thought. The addition of chocolate ganache (or "frosting" as the kids called it) really hit the spot and now I'm looking for another excuse to make it again. In case you're curious, I'll be posting the recipe tomorrow...

Inspiration for the cake's mini banner came from Danyelle...she posted something similar on her blog months ago and I've never forgotten how sweet it looked.

Case in point...you never know what you'll find in that $1 at Target! These over-sized Babar pencils made for the perfect game prizes.

Since it was the stack of Babar books that partially contributed to the inspiration behind this party, I thought it apropos to gift each child with his/her own vintage Babar book (in English). I found them for a reasonable price on etsy, but you can also find them on ebay too. Wrapped up in good, ol' fashioned kraft brown paper, red cording and an upcycled label, they made for great, little party favors.

On a side note: while this wasn't my motivation when planning the party favors, but I like the idea of gifting children something meaningful--something that won't end up at Goodwill or in the trash by next month. You just can't go wrong with a new or used book...in any language!

1, 2, 3...make a wish!

p.s. I still can't believe my youngest daughter turned 5 last week. Crazy! I started this blog a couple of weeks before she was born, per the encouragement of my sister, and thought maybe two people would view it regularly--my sister and my mom. Thank you for reading, commenting and sharing. It's so fun to interact with you all and I am so grateful for all the wonderful people I now know because of this blog. xo

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comments:

Bundt cake, balloons, and Babar? That is officially the best birthday plan, ever! For any age! I dragged my husband into used bookshops all across Paris just so I could look at Babar and Madeleine books.

That is a darling party! Those envelopes are especially cute. What a sweet theme. I'm not super familiar with Barbar but my brother really loved those books. I actually have plans to do a post about Richard Scarry's Busytown books. They were my favorites growing up and now my kids love them, too.

Steph! What a truly charming, lovely party. Brought back so many lovely memories reading babar as a child. So simple yet so full of "totes gorg" details (my nieces say that regularly--it means "totally gorgeous"). Thanks for sharing, and can't wait to try that chocolate bundt cake recipe. Happy Monday!

I always avoided "goodie bags" at my son's birthday parties and gave one thank you gift to each child. Books were often what we sent home but one year each guest got a kite, another year a substantial Scooby Doo key ring that ended up on many a back pack. All the moms were thankful that didn't have to deal with candy and little plastic things that broke quickly or got stuck between car seats on the way home.

I love your kids parties! I get so excited when you post a new one. This Babar party is fantastic! I recently threw a b-day party for my four year old where she requested ham and cheese sandwiches. I bought mini buns and turned them into sliders too!

What is so delightful about your children's birthday parties is that they are so original. Yes, you may borrow cute little touches here and there, but in the end they are wholly you. I mean really a Matroyshka doll party? Babar? Hot Air Ballons? Cherries? Love them, love their clean, classic, simplicity. So like you. And um thanks friend you've just added something else to my frenchie shopping list - vintage Babar (and what the heck Madeleine) books. Hmmm.

Anon, thank you for the note...that's kind of the goal here, what you said about keeping childhood innocent. It's difficult to do this day in age, but it's worth a shot! This is such a great age/stage--5. Love it.

Angela, it sounds like we are of the same mindset! Sometimes my favors are better than others, but I do try to avoid junk too...

Marilee, thank you! We wish you lived closer so you could come by and eat cake with us :)

This is so adorable!!You've given me a wealth of ideas for other themes too: I have a pile of story book pages from dr. seuss and curious george (and i'm sure there are others) from when my daughter was in a paper-tearing phase.

Cecila, I think a Dr. Seuss party would be so fun. You could really have a great time with that theme. Also, curious George would be awesome as well. You could decorate with bananas or have banana splits or whatever. Send me a link if you end up doing that and posting about it on your personal blog!

Cher, that's a good idea. I wish I were better about that sort of thing. Oh and I'd be happy to help you anytime with the kids parties...anytime! Just say the word :)

Stephanie. Your parties get me so excited to have kids and to think of more original parties for my husband and I.

I'll definitely be trying that cake banner soon.

And I know this sounds bat-crazy, cause I'll thank you a million times for it. But thanks a zillion for your Sundance Outlet Tolix tips. We love our barstools, and I never would have gotten them if it wasn't for your post. :)

Oh my gosh, I love this party! And I loooove the Babar drawings, too. We have a few vintage Babar books, and I was wondering how do you handle the parts with the African natives? My kiddo is just 3 so I usually skip those pages, but it's kind of a bummer. Perhaps the new editions of those books have edited that out—anyone know?

Sharmyn, not sure how I missed your comment earlier...maybe we left ours at the same time! Anyway, I can only image the damage that you, me, and Christine would do at the flea markets in France!

Mair, I found the skinny candles at Display and Costume here in Seattle. It's a large party store. They might've been Wilton?

Becky, I am so glad you snagged those stools...they are not easy to procure but with much diligence (and a little info as to how to beat the system!) it's possible. They are beautiful and I'm glad you have some in your home now! Wahoo!

What a fabulous idea! My daughter just turned 5 too and loves Babar. Of course, it helps that she's learning French and we can have fun reading the books "en francais" - tonight our bedtime book was a very fun Richard Scarey livre en francais - her birthday gift from your friend and mine, Christine, of course!

this sweet little party is perfect in every way, but what stuck with me most was the image of the cake. and it sounded so delicious. thank you for the recipe. i made it today, just because, as a very special after school treat. it was incredible. so, so good. i blogged about it too. the link is below. thank you! tessahttp://nineandsixteen.blogspot.com/2012/03/tulips-chocolate.html

I just discovered your blog today - with this sweet party! My daughters loved Babar and Madeline growing up and this is a such a lovely idea. I think many parties today are so over the top - this is calm and beautiful! I LOVE that you found things at Target too! Best wishes!

Such a wonderful party. I am hosting a baby shower for a good friend that is using Babar as the art work for her nursery so we are incorporating it into the shower. I was wondering which die cut you used for the crowns as I think it would be perfect addition. Happy New Year!